Abstract

In 2017, Italy stood out in the European context for its decarbonisation plan, having committed to cutting CO2 emissions produced by large industries by almost 60% by 2030 and to completely phasing out coal for energy production by 2025, while increasing investments in renewables. Against this background, the main Italian energy utility – once a state enterprise and now a multinational in which the Italian Ministry of Economics and Finance participates – has been planning to close more than twenty thermoelectric power plants (fueled by fossils) located in marginal areas of Italy, and to substitute their installed capacity with renewable plants in this country and abroad. Mostly based on previous academic consultancy work conducted during the plants’ closure process (January-October 2016; September 2017-January 2018; April 2018), the paper gives an «accidental» ethnographic account of energy transition from the vantage point of working inside the project, while being external to the organisation promoting it. Through three scenes set in different power stations, the article shows the variety of groups that make up the energy utility, their views and lived experiences of transition, from the white collars running the decommissioning project to the few workers left in the plants to trade unionists. The paper aims to contribute to the critical academic debate on decarbonisation, energy transition and circular economy by looking at the way these topics were framed by different groups within the company. Finally, the paper reflects on the role of these kinds of multinational energy utilities in shaping narratives and actions for transition.